Day 2 was a wonderful day spent touring Hala Sultan Tekke, visiting St. Lazarus Church, enjoying Finikoudes Bay, and shopping in Limassol Marina! Our first stops of the morning were located in the city of Larnaca. Hala Sultan Tekke is a mosque that was built over the grave of Umm Haram, who was believed to be the sister of the Prophet Muhammad’s foster mother. It was interesting to learn that she was buried in the very spot where she fell off her mule and died. The mosque is surrounded by beautiful greenery and has a strict dress code for entrance because it is still used for religious purposes today.

St.  Lazarus Church is situated over the tomb of the saint Argos Lazarus. We learned that people used to believe the earth was flat and the sky was hemi-spherical and this is why domes were built on the roofs of churches. We also witnessed people kissing the beautiful gold-coated paintings along the iconostasis and learned how coverings were incorporated to preserve the images of the icons. Finally, we got to go beneath the sanctuary to view the actual tomb of St. Lazarus!

We then had free time to enjoy the beach at Finikoudes Bay! The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we spent the afternoon laying out in the sun and going in the water. The water was rather warm and some of us even made the long swim all the way out to the bouy and back! The Old City was bustling with people and appeared to be a hot spot for tourists looking to eat and shop. 

We spent our free time in the evening back in Limassol Marina which is one of my favorite spots on the island thus far. It has so many delicious restaurants, cute shops, and even live music some nights. It has a great view of the water and the places we shopped at had gorgeous dresses, ceramics, and jewelry. All of the locals have been so friendly and curious of where we are from.